Letter: Forget the rich, let's help workers get a fair shake

To the editor

Published 1:13 pm, Friday, August 2, 2013

Anyone who values the dignity of work, job security and company loyalty to its workers would have found Times Union articles on July 17 and 18 very disturbing.

To prop up owner and upper-management earnings, Bank of America cut 18,300 jobs over the year and promised to cut more ("Profit gains include caveats," July 18). Closer to home, United Airlines is eliminating the jobs of 42 employees at Albany International Airport ("United will cut 42 jobs in outsourcing effort," July 17).

There is a difference in these firings since United Airlines still needs workers at the Albany airport to provide ramp and customer service, to check in customers, and to load and unload baggage. These jobs are essential to running an airline, so United is outsourcing the work. One can speculate that, by firing the present 42 workers, United Airlines will no longer need to deal with its union, the International Association of Machinists. United will solely be able to dictate the wages, medical benefits, pensions (if any) and conditions of employment. Workers hired to take these same jobs will find downsized benefits and no union to defend and negotiate for them.

Again, the rich get richer while workers and their unions get hammered. This is wrong. How can this pattern get reversed?